User:Eggsr/sandbox
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hearing aids |
| Founder | William Cole |
| Products | Verifit, RM500, Verifit 2 |
| Parent | Etymonic Design |
| Website | Audioscan.com |
Audioscan is a Canadian-based company that specialises in hearing instrument fitting systems, for devices such as hearing aids. The parent company, Etymonic Design, was responsible for the design of the first BTE hearing aid in 1985.[1] Following the design, they moved into manufacturing and distribution as well as design. The Audioscan subsidiary was founded in 1989.
Audioscan are known for specialising in instrument fitting for hearing aids since the late 1980s. Verifit was launched in 2001 and was the first desktop hearing aid tester and real ear measurement system. The system became an industry standard measuring device over the next decade, before the company released Verifit 2 in 2014.
History
[edit]The company dates back to 1983, when the Ontario-based Etymonic Design was founded by William Cole.[1] Within five years, the company had helped influence the hearing aid market with various ongoing developments taking place. The digital hearing aid dated back to the 1960s, when computers were first used to analyze hearing.[2] In 1967, Harry Levitt demonstrated how a hearing aid would work on a computer.
In 1985, the company created its first programmable multi-channel hearing aid with a handheld programmer.[2] At the time, Etymonic Design were contracted for product design projects, one of which was the creation of the first behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid. Audioscan was founded in 1989 as a division of Etymonic Design after the design company decided to move into the equipment space, rather than just focusing on design.[3]
Following the initial work in the hearing aid market and playing a major role in the introduction of digital hearing aids. In the same year as their foundation, the company created the RM500. The RM500 was the first portable hearing aid test box/real-ear system.[3]
Audioscan developed Verifit. At the time, it was introduced as the first desktop hearing aid tester and real ear measurement system. It's release came in 2001 and was widely accepted due to it utilising digitised speech signals, compared to a variety of tones that had been used previously on other systems.[1] The tests created by Verifit, could be compared directly to hearing measurements, which led to the creation of the first "speech map". The speech map helped professionals find the best solution as they could compare the gain and processing of speech at different levels to find the best solution for the listener.[1]
Other features could be added using Verifit, including noise reduction, feedback suppression, and a simulation of paediatric hearing.[1] After 13 years as a leading fitter of hearing instruments, Verifit was replaced with Verifit 2.[3] In an interview, it was stated that the main new addition to the testing equipment was the capability to carry out a binaural test. The binaural test was key as many hearing aids are now communicating with each other wirelessly, while also pairing with other systems so that hearing quality can continue to improve. A bigger role is now played in the test-box design, meaning it can lead to more sophisticated pre-fittings.[3]
In January 2015, it was announced that Jim Jonkman would become President of Audioscan.[4] In March of that year, it was announced that John Pumford would be joining Audioscan as Director of Audiology & Education.[5]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "William Cole". Audiology.org.
- ^ a b "LEVITT: Digital Hearing Aids: A Tutorial Review" (pdf). rehab.research.va.gov. Retrieved 2015-02-18. Cite error: The named reference "va" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b c d "Introducing Verifit 2 from Audioscan". Audiology Online. May 1, 2014.
- ^ "New President at Audioscan". Audiology Worldnews. January 21, 2015.
- ^ "John Pumford Joins Audioscan as Director of Audiology, Education". Hearing Review. March 10, 2015.